Perhaps one of the mechanisms of a redline attack is to engage in behavior inconsistent with one's identity.
This explains why the villagers also have red lines above their heads; if they do anything that is inconsistent with their identity as "villagers," the red lines will attack them indiscriminately!
Having figured this out, Su Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing the attack mechanism of the red line can prevent one from being like Wei Guhua, who, while trying to gather more information, unknowingly brought danger to his life.
"We're here. This is your yard."
Yulian pushed open the courtyard gate, stepping aside to let the eight people in, while she and Heilian stopped at the threshold.
Yaya was the last to enter the room. She turned back to look at Yulian and said, "Sister Yulian, come in and sit down too."
Yulian gave a simple smile, "This is your accommodation, I won't go in. The village chief's family will bring you lunch later, please go inside and choose your rooms."
After saying that, she closed the door and left with Heilian by the hand.
The people inside cautiously surveyed their surroundings; the courtyard consisted of ordinary brick and wood houses.
The building is surrounded by high walls, with the main hall in the center and rooms on both sides, totaling eight rooms.
"Neither of them will come in; there must be something strange about it," Hao Ruoxue said, her expression slightly tense.
Aunt Jin: "Xiao Li, you're so experienced, did you figure anything out?"
Li Ren shook his head, his expression equally unpleasant.
The fact that Yulian and her son were unwilling to step into the courtyard showed that it was not an ordinary place, but he could not see anything unusual about it.
Aunt Jin: "Even you can't tell? This dungeon is really difficult. So, what do you think is the best course of action next?"
Three novices surrounded Li Ren, wanting to hear his advice.
Su Cheng did not participate in the discussion; she left the crowd and went straight to a house.
Hao Ruoxue followed after seeing this.
Wang Zhichao saw this and frowned. "Why did they go straight into the house? Aren't they afraid there's something inside...?"
Yaya smiled faintly, "Then I'll go choose a room too."
After she left, Wei Guhua also went into a room.
Aunt Jin was hesitant, worried that the house might be a trap, but also afraid of missing the chance to find clues. "They went to choose a house, why don't we go take a look too?"
Li Ren glanced at his watch. "I'll go later. You guys choose first, I'm fine with anything."
"Then I'll go later too, I'm not picky."
After entering the room, Su Cheng closed the door and briefly explained the matter of the red thread to Hao Ruoxue.
Hao Ruoxue's face paled slightly. She touched the top of her head, only to find her hand grasping at empty air. "Is there a thread here that could pierce my head?!"
"Yes, we'll definitely have to deal with the villagers again, so we need to be careful about our words and actions."
Hao Ruoxue nodded gratefully, "I will."
Su Cheng further reminded, "Besides your identity and behavior, there might be other triggering mechanisms. You should generally go along with the villagers' wishes for now, but you can't completely obey them, as they might try to manipulate you."
Hao Ruoxue gave a wry smile, "This dungeon is ten times harder than the last special dungeon I played."
Su Cheng remained noncommittal, acknowledging that this instance was indeed more difficult and prone to danger due to information asymmetry.
She scanned the room; the bed was under the window, and most strangely, there was a large vat filled with water beside the bed.
In Su Cheng's eyes, the water vat emitted a faint black aura.
This is just residual death energy; nothing else is special.
Su Cheng looked at it thoughtfully for a while, then pulled Hao Ruoxue out the door.
The people who were staying in the front yard saw them come out safely and wanted to ask them something, but then they saw the two of them go into the next room.
Su Cheng saw the same black mist in the water tank next to the bed in this room.
"Someone died in one of these two rooms recently, and in a gruesome manner."
Hao Ruoxue couldn't see any black aura. In her eyes, although the two large water vats were placed in an odd position, they looked ordinary.
Hearing Su Cheng's words, she immediately felt a chill run down her spine. "Could the dead person still be in the room?"
"No, not at all." Su Cheng frowned. " Yulian and her son clearly knew that someone had died in the house."
"Could it have been the villagers who killed him?"
"It's not certain yet, but I think they're definitely involved."
There is currently very little information available.
Because of the spying from above, Su Cheng didn't want Mu Ling to come out, which resulted in her only seeing one side of the story.
The two searched every corner of the house to make sure there was nothing else strange.
Hao Ruoxue: "Will the other people's rooms be the same as ours?"
Su Cheng had a guess in her mind, but she still said, "Let's go take a look."
The two left the room and bumped into Yaya, who was also leaving.
The four people who were waiting in the front yard have all chosen their rooms.
Yaya smiled brightly, "Would you like to come and see my room?"
Su Cheng was surprised by Yaya's enthusiasm and initiative, and readily agreed, "Okay."
She went into Yaya's room but didn't notice any black mist on her water tank.
There are eight rooms, and not all of the former residents have died.
"This kind of large water tank is perfect for growing lotus. I'd like to go to the lotus pond. Do you want to come along?" Yaya's smile faded, and her expression became serious.
A note from the author:
Happy New Year everyone!
Chapter 109
"Okay." Su Cheng had originally planned to go to the lotus pond as well.
Yaya put on a bright smile again. Compared to Li Ren and the others, she preferred to act with Su Cheng had been silently observing from the beginning.
The unassuming demeanor and the way Su Cheng subtly observed the situation were qualities she had only ever seen in the powerful figures from previous dungeons.
"Bang bang bang"
There was a knock on the courtyard gate, and someone entered, calling out, "Guests, we've brought the food!"
The three exchanged a glance and then left the room together.
The others in the house were also awakened by the sound.
Three people came to the front yard: a kind-looking, smiling old man leaning on a cane, and two tall men carrying food buckets.
Su Cheng narrowed her eyes and saw a blurry humanoid shadow behind the three people, with black stitching connecting the shadow to the human body.
Yulian dared not enter, but the village chief and the other two were able to. Was it because of the presence of the dark figure?
This reminded Su Cheng of the little ghost she had seen in the Coffin Keeper instance before, which protected the host from negative influences.
"Greetings, guests. I am Bai, the Red Lotus Village. These two are my sons. This meal is specially prepared to entertain you; I hope you will enjoy it."
Village Chief Bai called to his two sons to carry the wooden bucket to the dining table in the main hall.
A rich aroma wafted from the two wooden barrels, filling the yard even before they were opened; it smelled like fish soup.
Li Ren took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Village Chief Bai, only to see Village Chief Bai shake his head and repeat only one sentence, "You must be hungry, let's eat first."
The village chief's two sons were even more taciturn, keeping their heads down and working, their indifferent faces showing no emotion whatsoever.
Left with no other choice, the group could only take their seats.
The lid of the wooden bucket was lifted, and sure enough, it contained fish soup.
The fish body was overcooked until tender, with the head floating on top. The soup also contained lotus seeds, red dates, and other ingredients, and its milky white color made it look extremely delicious.
Bowls of fish soup were served to the group.
Village Chief Bai stood beside the table, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Guests, please have a taste!"
"It's too hot, can I drink it later?" Aunt Jin asked cautiously.
Village Chief Bai: "It's not hot at all, the temperature is just right. If it waits any longer, it will affect the taste. Tourists have traveled a long way to get here, aren't they hungry and thirsty?"
He still had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes turned deep as he asked the question, and anyone who dared to say they weren't hungry would face terrible danger.
Silence fell over the dinner table.
Su Cheng picked up the bowl. The round, white lotus seeds were overcooked and mushy, revealing a tiny red heart in the center, which instantly reminded her of a human eye.
Even the most fragrant aroma, when associated with rotten eyeballs, only evokes disgust.
She tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp, the soup spilling into her sleeve pocket as it touched the fabric.
Once the Smart Bag has 30 slots, it gains the ability to automatically switch modes, which comes in very handy now.
She put down her bowl, made a swallowing motion, wiped her mouth, and smiled at the surprised looks from the others, "It's delicious."
Village Chief Bai chuckled happily, "Of course! This is our village's signature dish, passed down through generations. Many tourists come here specifically to try it."
His attention shifted from Su Cheng, and he urged, "The other tourists should drink too, aren't you hungry?"
While the others hesitated, Li Ren and Yaya finished their drinks one after the other.
After acknowledging the deliciousness of the fish soup, he was no longer in the sight of Village Chief Bai.
Clang
Someone's bowl fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces.
Village Chief Bai's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he shifted his gaze.
Taking advantage of the moment, Su Cheng quickly grabbed Hao Ruoxue's soup bowl and poured her soup into her Smart Bag.
Hao Ruoxue's eyes widened slightly as she finally understood why Su Cheng had finished the fish soup so readily; she had almost genuinely believed that the fish soup was drinkable.
Wang Zhichao feigned annoyance and explained, "Oh dear! How come I didn't hold it properly?"
He tentatively asked, "That's such a pity, how about I drink it next time?"
Village Chief Bai stared at the soup on the ground for a few seconds, then sighed regretfully, "It seems this guest will have to enjoy this delicious food another time."
There's hope!
"Clang, clang, clang," came three more sounds of the bowl shattering.
Village Chief Bai's expression changed drastically.
Aunt Jin quickly interjected, "I didn't hold it properly either, I didn't mean to."
Wei Guhua: "Me too, sorry."
Yao Yue: "Me too..."
Village Chief Bai gave a cold "heh." It was understandable if one person accidentally broke a bowl, but four people seemed to be doing it deliberately.
"I didn't expect the guests to not seem hungry at all. They've come all this way and aren't hungry at all? If the fish soup isn't to their liking, they can say so. Why throw the bowl down?"
The instant he finished speaking, the red ropes above the heads of Wang Zhichao, Aunt Jin, and Yao Yue simultaneously pierced their skulls, as if the conditions had been met.